Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

Red Blood Cells

Red blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs to all body cells. They are adapted to do this function because of their features:

Biconcave shape

Biconcave shape

  • Red blood cells have dents on each side.
  • We call this a biconcave shape.
  • This biconcave shape creates a large surface area and allows for the rapid diffusion of oxygen.
Haemoglobin

Haemoglobin

  • Red blood cells contain haemoglobin, which binds with oxygen in the lungs.
  • Haemoglobin carries oxygen which will then be released to the body cells to be used for respiration.
No nucleus

No nucleus

  • Red blood cells do not have a nucleus. This frees up more room for haemoglobin.
  • This maximises the amount of oxygen that they can carry.
Small size

Small size

  • Red blood cells are small so that they can pass through tiny capillaries.
Jump to other topics
1

Classification of Living Organisms

2

Organisation of the Organism

3

Movement Into & Out of Cells

4

Biological Molecules

5

Enzymes

6

Plant Nutrition

7

Human Nutrition

8

Transport in Plants

9

Transport in Animals

10

Diseases & Immunity

11

Gas Exchange in Humans

12

Respiration

13

Excretion in Humans

14

Coordination & Response

15

Drugs

16

Reproduction

17

Inheritance

18

Variation & Selection

19

Organisms & Their Environment

20

Human Influence on Ecosystems

21

Biotechnology & Genetic Modification

Practice questions on Red Blood Cells

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
Answer all questions on Red Blood Cells

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium